The Wright Stuff

Mike Coppage

06/24/2010

Dayton defensive tackle Darian Wright committed to SMU in early June and PonyStampede.com spoke with Wright last night. Read further to find out why Wright decided that SMU was the right choice for him.

Defensive tackle Darian Wright doesn't mince words when asked about the factors that led to his decision to commit to SMU.

"I liked the attention from the SMU coaches," said Wright. "Coach (Bert) Hill, the defensive line coach, always answered my phone calls and he never ignored my calls. I like the coaches and I liked it when I visited SMU's campus. It was just a good fit for me."

"There's a few more schools that have offered too," he said. "I'm actually not sure who they are. I've been running and getting ready for football season. Today, I've been working with my aunt - helping her clean out a garage."

With Wright at the helm, Dayton High School has posted a 25-5 mark over the past two seasons.

"We're looking to go far in the playoffs again. I look at each game equally. They're all key games. Last year, I had 73 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. I'd say that my strong point is my pad level, that I get low.

Wright expects a good season out of teammate Justin Booth, who holds an SMU offer.

"He's a good player who listens to our coaches," said Wright. He's going to move to offensive line this year (from defensive end), although he'll switch to defense sometimes when we need him. He's been practicing on offense and defense."